Under pressure from various quarters, the Government on June 18 withdrew the controversial Guthi Bill, reports The Himalayan Times. The bill, which was registered in the National Assembly on April 30, sparked mass protests in Kathmandu valley as protesters claimed that the bill was against cultural conservation and favoured the land mafia. Minister of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Padma Kumari Aryal informed about the bill’s withdrawal organising a press conference. “Attempts are being made to mislead and provoke the people and spoil the peaceful environment. Therefore, I have decided to withdraw the bill from the National Assembly after realising the need to hold additional consultations with the stakeholders concerned,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) on June 18 launched its third phase of protest against the Media Council Bill tabled by the Government in the Parliament, reports The Himalayan Times. A press statement issued by the FNJ said “The FNJ announced the third phase of protest after the government took lightly the first and second phases of its protest programmes, organised on June 8 and June 12.” The FNJ informed that its would conduct a signature campaign for three days and submit the signatures to Prime Minster KP Sharma Oli through the concerned district administration offices, on June 21. It has also appealed all journalists, media, professionals, political parties, civil society, rights activists and general public for their active participation in the signature campaign.